6 THE CALL BOARD

NEWSLETTER OF THE MOHAWK & HUDSON CHAPTER, N.R.H.S.

October 1990

Testing the Alco-Haulics

by Harold Crouch Readers of the "Call Board" may recall the big Southern Pacific RR diesel-hydraulic drive locomotives that ALCO built for them back in the early 1960s. Each unit was of 4300 horsepower and consisted of two ALCO 12-cylinder 251 oil engines each driving a Voith hydraulic drive transmission. These transmissions were made by the Voith Company in Germany. The transmissions were unique in that three torque converters were all mounted on a common shaft that was driven by the prime mover. The output shaft of the transmission passed through the hollow center pin of the truck to connect the three axles of the truck by means of gear boxes. Braking - similar to that of a diesel-electric locomotive - was also incorporated. Operating a locomotive of this type was quite similar to that of a steam locomotive. If the engineer was "heavy handed" on the throttle, all that occurred was that the wheels would slip, same as a steam loco. A dieselelectric loco, on the other hand, would slip it's wheels and with heavy current going to the traction motors, the motors can be overheated and damage sustained, In passing, it is worth mentioning, that AMTRAK's Turbo-liners, as used on the Empire Service, have a Voith Transmission - although the prime mover is a gasturbine. Before ALCO shipped the three units West to the SPRR, ALCO gave the New York Central Technical Research Dept., Cleveland Ohio, a contract to run dynamometer tests on the Boston & Albany out of Selkirk Yard using dynamometer car X23417 (now Conrail 30). The units left Schenectady and travelled to Selkirk via the Carman Cutoff. I did not ride this portion of the trip as our Chief Road Foreman of Engines, Austin Hardy, asked me to drive his auto to Selkirk so it would be on hand on our return. At Selkirk, we picked up a heavy train - I can't recall the exact tonnage at this late date - and started for the B&A. The units rolled the train right along, but at Pittsfield Mass. we had to "go in the hole" to enable #27, THE NEW ENGLAND STATES, to pass. When the signal cleared and a "highball" was given, the front unit dug in and loaded good, but the other two units just sat there and slipped like crazy. The poor ALCO people were rapidly going up the wall trying to figure out what was wrong. As may be suspected, it was something simple, somehow the angle cock in the sander trainline had been closed on the If2 end of the lead unit. With good sand running, the units took the train up the grade with no further difficulty. At West Springfield, the units were cut off while the train proceeded with regular ALCO FA power. The next day - a Sunday - we started back to Selkirk with a special train of 6,000 tons. The units rolled the tonnage right up Washington Mountain (2.5% grade) just as if the mountain wasn't there. It so happened that the head brakeman was in the cab with me and as we rolled along, I asked him how fast we would be going if we had comparable diesel-electric (individual axle drive) locomotives. His answer was short and to the point - stalled at the yard limit sign!!! For me this was a wonderful demonstration of what this type of motive power can dol!' As a result of this test, it was determined that hydraulic drive type locomotives can handle twice the tonnage on any given grade, as compared to the diesel-electric type locomotive with individual axle drive. It should be pointed out that it is not the hydraulic drive portion, but the simple fact that the axles on the truck are mechanically coupled together, that makes for more effective use of the available adhesion weight on drivers. The adhesion weight is there, why not use it to the best advantage. Perhaps readers will recall, that prior to this test, the D&RGW RR had sent their KM diesel-hydraulic units to the East. The Rio Grande people from the Test Dept, showed me the tonnage ratings they had developed for the units. They likewise had determined that for any given grade the hydraulic drive units could handle twice the tonnage the diesel-electric units could for the same horsepower input. Conversely, for the same tonnage, a train with hydraulic drive units could go faster. It is to be realized that in recent years sophisticated wheelslip control devices have been developed to TRY and obtain the same results that the hydraulic drive units can give. However, these only add to the complexity of the locomotive and are potential causes of delays and failures which the rail industry can do without! After the demonstration on the B&A, a proposal was made to take two ALCO FA units (that were at Collinwood backshop for overhaul) and apply new longer axles to the trucks, the outboard ends to have cranks and side rods applied similar to some industriallocomotives. This would be for test purposes only. If, as highly suspected, it-;; turned out that the existing diesel-electric locomotive could reach or approach what the hydraulic drive could do, then the manufacturers could be asked to provide a retrofit kit to modify the diesel-electric locomotives. Additional advantages would be fewer high speed wheel slips and flash overs plus lowered maintenance costs on the electrical equipment. However, this was not to be. The S.P. units went West, were used for a while and retired. So ends a noble experiment.

October 1990

NEWSLETTER OF THE MOHAWK & HUDSON CHAPTER, N.R.H.S.

THE CALL BOARD

ALCO
4300 HP Diesel-Hydraulic Locomotive for High Speed Freight Service
General Characteristics 1963
Model Number Class Track Gauge Maximum Locomotive Speed Hydraulic 643 AAR Designation C-C 4' 8 112" 77 MPH Two Alco 12 Cylinder Model 251-C

Key to Diagram
(over page)

4300 HP Diesel-Hydraulic tive 1 2 3 4 5 6

Locomo-

7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38

Engines ......................................... Principle Dimensions Height (Over Cab) Width (Maximum) Length (Inside Knuckles) Wheel Base Each Truck (Rigid) Total Locomotive

15' 0" 10' 1-5/8" 75' 10"

13' 10-112" 59' 5-3/4"

Driving Axles .............................. 6

Wheels
Weight On Driving Wheels Total Locomotive Maximum Track Curviture Multiple Unit or With Train Single Unit without Train Supplies - Total Capacity Lubricating Oil Fuel Oil Transmission Oil Engine Cooling Water Sand

40" Dia.

378,000 Ibs. 378,000 lbs.

Engine Hydraulic transmission Auxiliary generator Control stand Brak<: valves Elt::ctrical control equipment Mechanical air cleaner (engine air) Air cleaner exhauster Engine and transmission cooling unit RadiataRadiator fan Radiator fan drive shaft Radiator shutter Lubricating oil filter Lubricating oil strainer Lubricating oil cooler Transmission oil heat exchanger Air compressor Main air reservoir Fuel tank Fuel tank filling connection Fuel oil filter Axle gear box Axle gear box - intermediate Cardan shaft Torqut:: reaction arm Sand box Sand box fill Engine water expansion tank Batteries Hand brake Cab heater Backup light Headlight Classification light Number box Engine hood ventilator Brake equipment

25 degrees 30 degrees

Modifications: 39 40 41 Toilet Cab seat Clothes locker

400 Gal.

4,000 Gal. 200 Gal. 600 Gal. 48 cu. ft.

October 1990

NEWSLETTER OF THE MOHAWK & HUDSON CHAPTER: N.R.H.S.

THE CALL BOARD

9 THE CALL BOARD

NEWSLETTER OF THE MOHAWK & HUDSON CHAPTER: N.R.H.S.

October 1990

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Diagram

of ALCO

PRODUCTS'

4300 horsepower

diesel-hydraulic

freight

locomotive.